December 2008
4 posts
Do Price Gouging Laws Apply To Doctors?
A friend saw an allergist last week: he spent one hour in the office and had an allergy test run. They submitted the visit to his insurance but apparently the company doesn’t cover allergy related issues.
This friend then received a bill for $1200.
So, let’s do the math. $1200 for an hour long visit is equivalent to $20 a minute or about $2,400,000 a year.
Now, let’s say this...
Use FriendFeed as a Twitter Client
I debated about which blog to post this too, as it really does seem obvious to me. However, I’ve seen so many people ask how to use FriendFeed as a Twitter client that it’s apparently not particularly obvious to anyone else.
Create a new room in FriendFeed, name it something like TwitterForUsername (since rooms can’t share the same name, you can’t just make it...
Kinesthetic Learners: Why Old Media Should Never...
As you may or may not know, I used to be a customer service trainer: I worked for a national telecommunications company until they were bought and our location closed in 2006. Working with adults is similar to working with children in some ways, and oh so very different in others. Not to mention that, as a 27 year old, it was sometimes hard to get a 50 year old trainee to take me seriously. It can...
November 2008
7 posts
The Meaning of Christmas and the 50ยข Gift
I grew up poor. Not dirt poor, mind you: our bills were paid and we were always clean and fed. In fact, my sister and I both played in the orchestra, took dance lessons, and were involved in school clubs and sports. Those, however, were the only real extravagences in our family. Our clothes were clean and well kept, but were either second hand or bought at a discount store. Our food was healthy...
Shopping For Thanksgiving? Try This Trick To Help...
Thanksgiving is this Thursday in the United States, and many of us are creating a lengthy shopping list. If that’s the case, this week’s buy one get one free (aka BOGO) sales could make for the easiest donation you’ve ever made.
Make out your shopping list like you normally would. Now, take about 15 minutes to look over the sales papers for your local grocery store. Don’t...
Maintenance: New Theme and Disqus Comments
Just a heads up that I’ve changed the theme and added Disqus comments to this Tumblelog. Posts here are currently discussed on my FriendFeed, but if you somehow found this mind-dump and want to share your thoughts, I wanted to give you the opportunity.
Eat Like You're Poor So the Poor Can Eat
Long story short: in 2007 12.2% of Americans were experienced what the USDA calls ‘food insecurity’. This means that during the year there wasn’t enough money (or puclic/private assistance) for them to “maintain active, healthy lives.”
The USDA Food Security Report (linked above) includes all the gory details, but I think this chart (right) does a good job of...
Let's Get Depressed: Are You Ready For a Layoff in...
With the economy in a nose dive and the word layoff appearing more than “2.0” in all of our feed readers, perhaps you’re starting to wonder what would happen to you if the unthinkable happened: you get laid off.
First and foremost, that really shouldn’t be the unthinkable. The fact that it seems like such a strange event is a “head in the sand” mentality,...
Can a Hermaphrodite Get Married in California?
I had the strangest thought on the way home this evening: can a hermaphrodite get married in California? Stick with me, this logical walk actually makes some sense…
Let me preface this with the fact that I’m not familiar with the exact verbiage of Proposition 8 so I’m going to discuss some different versions for this exercise. I’m also aware that the proper term is...
I love the 9th and 10th Amendments. If only the...
Seriously. The 9th and 10th amendments of the Bill of Rights are priceless.
Amendment IX - The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.
Amendment X -The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the...